1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an audio processing device, an audio processing method, and a program that are preferably applied to an AV (Audio Visual) system. More specifically, the present invention relates to an audio processing device, an audio processing method, and a program that enable a favorable process of giving a sound field characteristic to audio signals by giving a sound field characteristic corresponding to received genre information to audio signals of an audio input when the received genre information is determined to be genre information corresponding to the audio input selected by an audio input selecting unit.
2. Description of the Related Art
HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface) has become widespread as a digital interface for transmitting video/audio data. HDMI has an audio transmitting function and a copyright protecting function in addition to DVI (Digital Visual Interface), which is a standard of connection between a PC (Personal Computer) and a display, and is arranged for AV (Audio Visual) devices. Non-patent Document 1 (High-Definition Multimedia Interface Specification Version 1.3a, Nov. 10, 2006) describes the details of the HDMI standard.
According to a related art, a plurality of cables for respective signals of video, audio, and control have been used to mutually connect devices. On the other hand, HDMI enables use of a single cable and control signals are compatible with bidirectional transmission. Therefore, by relaying control signals from a monitor to an output device connected by HDMI, such as an STB (Set Top Box) or a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc) player, an entire AV system can be operated by a remote control of the monitor.
In the HDMI standard, inter-device control using CEC (Consumer Electronics Control) is defined. According to CEC, various controls can be performed on the basis of unique physical and logical addresses assigned to respective devices existing on an HDMI network. For example, if playback is performed by a DVD player connected by HDMI when a user is watching/listening to digital broadcast on a television receiver, the television receiver automatically switches ON an input connected to the DVD player. Also, a menu displayed in the DVD player and ON/OFF of the power can be controlled by using a remote control of the television receiver.
In the HDMI standard, operations can be performed even when ten devices at the maximum including a television receiver are mutually connected. That is, nine external devices at the maximum can be connected to a television receiver. When the number of external devices connected to the television receiver is nine or less, any of those devices can be operated by a remote control.
In the above-described case where external devices are operated from a television receiver by using a remote control of the television receiver, the device to be operated can be specified among the plurality of devices by selecting the device having images that are currently displayed in the television receiver.
In the HDMI standard, <Active Source> is defined as a CEC message to indicate the device having images displayed in the television receiver. According to the definition, for example, when a user operates a playback button of a DVD player compatible with the HDMI standard, the DVD player outputs an AV stream and broadcasts an <Active Source> message indicating that the DVD player is an active device if the DVD player is in an active state of being capable of outputting stable video signals.
Here, “broadcast” means transmission of signals to all devices, not to a specific device. The television receiver and the other external devices that have received the broadcasted <Active Source> message change channels in order to play back the AV stream output from the DVD player.
As described above, the HDMI standard defines that a device having images being displayed in the television receiver broadcasts an <Active Source> message to the other devices in the network. The <Active Source> message is one of CEC messages defined by the HDMI standard.
Also, as described in Patent Document 1 (Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2008-35399), there has been realized a function of changing a sound field of an AV amplifier in accordance with genre information of EPG (Electronic Program Guide) of a television receiver by HDMI-CEC. This function is realized by supplying genre information of EPG to an HDMI-CEC line at start of receiving a program or at change of programs in the television receiver and by setting a sound field corresponding to the genre information by the connected AV amplifier.